Clawlock sat in his office as he waited for his morning appointment with Severus Prince.
Since the moment he first met the young Prince, Clawlock had his doubts about the newly appointed Lord. It was as clear as day that the young wizard was troubled, both emotionally and physically. Just first impressions alone told him that there was no need for the details, his story was easy to figure out. Throughout his life as a goblin employer of the Gringotts Bank, he had seen all kinds of wizards and witches come through those doors. So, reading Severus Snape, now known as Severus Prince, was like reading an open book.
But after nearly a week of meeting with the Lord Prince, Clawlock no longer just saw that troubled wizard within him anymore. While it was still there, he saw a harden, lost soul, looking for a purpose in life. He had vision, he had some experience, and he had knowledge that few other wizards of his age would know. In a good way, he reminded him of Cornelius Prince. Well, in terms of the man's more positive points.
While Severus wasn't as cruel, manipulative, or cold as the now-deceased Lord Prince was, he clearly inherited his intelligence, quick-wit, resourcefulness, unfettered attitude and hunger for knowledge. If the last few days taught him anything about the new lord, it was that Severus had the Prince gift. A gift that the Malfoys had envied for decades, hence the reason for the long-lasted rivalry between the two dynasties.
Not many liked Cornelius when he was alive. The man never smiled or allowed for his emotions to be known, at least not in public. He was all about his family's name and legacy, working hard to make sure that it would remain standing for centuries to come.
But all of that nearly became his undoing when his children ran away. First Maximillian, then both Helena and Eileen almost a year later. Everyone wondered what happened to the Prince children after they vanished from the face of the Earth. It was widely known that Cornelius had put a lot of investment into the marriage arrangement of his daughter, Eileen Prince, and the Malfoy heir, Abraxas. The marriage would have marked the end to the rivalry between the two houses for good. Something that Cornelius himself wanted to happen.
There had been rumors that the arrangement involved something more than just marriage of the two heirs. Something that Abraxas's father, Septimus Malfoy II, wanted badly from Cornelius.
Even to this day, it amazed Clawlock how the Prince Dynasty managed to survive, not to mention still thrive, after the untimely death of Cornelius Prince. He may not have been well liked, but he was respected for the businessman that he was. Even the Malfoys had an unspoken respect for the man's intelligence, with the exception of Abraxas.
While the loss of his children severely hurt the future of the house, what he had built remained strong to this day. Waiting for a new master to arise.
And now its master had come, in the form of Severus Alexander Prince.
The sound of the doorknob clicking caught Clawlock's attention, lifting his head to see Severus Prince walk into the office. The goblin who had guided him in shut the door to leave them in peace.
"Ah, Mister Prince," Clawlock motioned towards one of the chairs in front of him with his hand, slightly leaning up. "What can I do for you?"
Severus nodded, his eyes betraying a hint of exhaustion, as if he had stayed up the whole night before.
While watching the young lord, Clawlock realized that there was something different in his voice and presence. The moment their eyes met; he immediately saw it. The young man who was lost, distracted and confused was now confident and had a clear of mind. It was almost as if he had found something that gave him purpose, something that he could follow without a single shred of doubt.
After sitting down, Severus took out a letter and handed it over to the goblin, "Inside, I've written this letter for the Headmaster of the Rome Institute, to thank them for accepting me into their school. Though they'll probably be disappointed by my decline, I hope my thanks in the form of this letter will be enough. Please see to it that this gets to them."
Clawlock nodded in reply, taking the envelope that Severus slid to him. While he didn't say it out loud, he respected the young lord's decision to acknowledge the Rome Institution, becoming more convinced that he was indeed a true Prince, one that potentially could be better than Cornelius ever was.
"And I need you to do something else for me."
"Anything for you, Mister Prince."
"I need for you to open a vault account for a Miss Angelina Ivory. I trust you know who the Ivory Family is?"
Clawlock nodded, "I'm well aware of the family. Although I am curious as to why you're opening a vault account for Miss Ivory."
"Just returning a favor," he decided not to reveal anything else to him. "Have a hundred thousand galleons transferred from one of my vaults to the one for Miss Ivory, and make sure that only she is aware of the account."
"Shall I inform her of the identity to who opened the vault account?"
Severus nodded and handed over another envelope, "Inside is a personal letter addressed directly to her. Do not owl it off until I've left the country."
Once Clawlock took the envelope and placing it alongside the other two, Severus took the final two envelopes and handed them over.
"Also, I would like to send an exact amount to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for the funeral arrangements they did for Eileen. A letter for the Headmaster has been prepared in the envelope. To inform him that he is no longer my guardian and that I will not be returning to Hogwarts for my final two years.
"And finally, I need for another one hundred thousand galleons to be placed into a new vault account for a Muggle family known as the Evans. Inside the envelope is their address and instructions to split the money among all four family members, which would amount to twenty-five thousand galleons for each of them. If they wish to convert the galleons into muggle currency, they may. But they are not to know that the money from the Prince Dynasty."
Clawlock nodded, taking the two envelopes from him.
"The second envelope in your hands is addressed to one of the Evans family members, but you are to owl that one off separately a week before Hogwarts begins its next school year. Unlike the other letter, this one will have my identity revealed completely to this individual.
"And one last thing, by the time the new school year begins, there will be... some people looking for my whereabouts, at least for who I used to be. I need to ensure that my new identity and my plans for Salem are kept under wraps from the public. Especially when it comes to the Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore."
"I live to serve the Prince Dynasty," Clawlock declared, stacking the envelopes up the order they were given. "Your new position and status are well protected. Only a handful of people at the Ministry know and are under wizarding law to keep your secret."
"Thank you," Severus stood from the chair, straightening his robes. "Just a heads up, I plan on leaving for America in three days time. But I will be making regular visits here at Gringotts, for financial purposes of course. I will also be taking up residency in the Prince Mansion." He paused. "I need to make preparations."
Clawlock raised an eyebrow at his final words, sensing a meaning behind them.
"Who still resides at the Prince Manor?"
"Only the two house-elves, Dory and Tibby, and also the main caretaker, Vincent Crashwell. They take care of everything around the Manor."
"How long have they been in service to the Prince family?"
"For the elves, about sixty years. For Mr. Crashwell, almost all of his life."
Severus nodded and bowed, "I appreciate everything you've done for me, Clawlock. You're indeed a true ally. Oh, and before I forget.." He reached into his robes again and took out a piece of parchment, handing it over to him. "... I need for you to locate this person for me. His last known location is also on the paper, but the information is ten years out-of-date, and I need you to confirm his current whereabouts."
Taking the parchment, Clawlock unfolded it and read what was on it, nodding, "I'll get right on it."
"Thank you, Clawlock. Contact me the moment you've learned anything, I'll have one of elves at the manor be waiting by the fireplace of my family home. But I once again inform you that I intend to leave for America in three days' time to begin my new life. So, you'll have to message me through owling if you can't deliver on the information by then."
"No worries, Mr. Prince. You can count on me."
Without another word, Severus walked towards the doors of the office and exited the room.
/
For Lily Evans, the life of being a witch had its pros and cons. For one, the wizarding world was full of amazing possibilities and was perhaps the best thing to ever happen to her. But on the other hand, it wasn't something she couldn't share with anyone outside of her family. Whenever she was gone for the school years, it was the same old lie that she was attending a boarding school that she was offered to go to and that no visitors were allowed, other than family.
While on her way back to her family home from a slumber party with one of her childhood friends, Lily thought about the lies that she had to tell in order to keep her secret. It was the only thing about being a witch she hated the most, the lying. But even she knew it was to protect her kind from the prejudice and hatred of the muggle world. She even has her estranged relationship with her sister to be proof of that.
Lily's heart sank at the memory of when it all first started. The two had a healthy relationship as sisters during childhood, until the day Lily did accidental magic in front of her family. Ever since then, Petunia drifted apart from her, first the cold silence and then the naming calling. A part of her continued to wonder how it all came to this, and how it would affect them in the future.
Her thoughts drifted off to Severus and felt a mix of emotions within her, conflicted over how she was supposed to feel. She was still angry, but also sad as well.
While lost in thought, she realized where she was and stepped off the sidewalk that led to her house, walking through the park and arrived under a tree, the place where she and Severus spent their days together. Tears began to run down her cheeks as she sat down, her back against the trunk of the tree and under the shade of the long branches, and silently began crying to herself.
Despite everything that had happened between her and Severus, deep down, she wanted him back. There was a part of her that wanted to forgive him on the train, even take him back as her friend. But she feared that it was all a hoax, that he was only trying to win her back because he was hurting for the moment. Maybe there was a part of her that wanted to see him feel what she felt, but she felt regret in it all. She wanted everything to go back to normal and just be friend with him again.
But she doubt that was even possible now, they both had changed and chosen their paths in life. She had to face the fact that there was no going back, and that the only was to move on... was to move forward.
Wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks, she got up from the ground and restarted her journey home. As she passed Severus's house, she couldn't help but notice an empty presence when looking at the home of her former best friend. There was a part of her that wanted to go knock on the door and see if he was alright, but she quickly pushed those feelings aside and turned away.
Not once looking back as she left the house behind.
/
Severus Apparated in front of the gates of the Prince Manor, taking in his surroundings as he turned to face the dark manor beyond the black bars of the magical gates in front of him. The whole place looked grim and gritty from afar, which didn't surprise him. Especially after experiencing the memories of his mother. He knew there were secrets behind the doors of his family home, secrets that would forever dwell in the walls of the manor itself.
Steeling himself, Severus made sure he had his family ring and pendant necklace with him as he used his Gringotts golden key to open the large black gates, stepping on through the wards that guarded his family home. As he walked to the front entrance, he entered the manor and was suddenly greeted by a series of lights once the large doors closed behind him.
Floating, magical candles lit the entire marble foyer around Severus, allowing him to see two separate staircases on opposite ends of a hallway, leading up to a second floor.
Almost immediately, two figured popped out of nowhere, right in front of Severus.
"Master Prince!"
"Master Prince!"
Two house-elves cried with delight and happiness at the same time, bowing down before Severus, who only looked on with surprise and awe. Almost immediately he recognized them.
"Tibby? Dory?"
The two house-elves cried with delight again, their tears making a small puddle on the concrete floor. They continued to bow on their knees, afraid to look up.
"Master knows us!" the two exclaimed. "Master knows us!"
Severus didn't know what to do. He knew about house-elves from his former Slytherin housemates, but he never experienced knowing what having one would be like. He had a feeling that the emotional outburst and the third-person talking was going to get annoying real fast.
"Master Prince has come! Tibby knew Master would return! Tibby always knew!"
"Dory too knew! Dory and Tibby knew Master would return!"
Definitely annoying, Severus rolled his eyes.
"Apologizes, milord," came a distant, rumbly voice. "Servants Tibby and Dory have been waiting for the last ten years for their new master to arrive. After the deaths of Lord Cornelius and Lady Rebekka, they have been wondering who would take lordship of the manor."
Both Tibby and Dory began to cry again, using their clothes to dry their tears at the mention of Lady Rebekka.
Severus looked towards the dark hallway of where the voice came from, wondering who was speaking to him. Almost immediately, at the command of his thoughts, the hallway lit up and an old man was revealed, walking towards him, using a cane to balance himself.
The old man nodded towards him and announced himself, "I'm Vincent Crashwell, the Caretaker of Prince Manor. You've already met House-elves Tibby and Dory."
"Master knows us!" the two whispered to each other again.
Severus nodded and turned his attention to the elves, "Rise."
Obeying their master, they looked up towards him, awaiting their orders.
The Caretaker, Crashwell, made his way towards Severus, looking grim as he studied the new lord over. Whether or not he was pleased, he didn't show it.
"We've tried to keep the manor in decent shape for your arrival, but as you can see... we're a bit understaffed."
Severus nodded, "You've done well, from the looks like. For now, I'd like a tour of my new home."
Crashwell and the two elves bowed and moved to the side.
As Severus began to walk down the hallway, Crashwell and the elves followed from behind. Fearing he was too fast, Severus slowed to a pace so the old man could keep up.
"Are there any problems I should know about?" he asked.
"None, milord," Crashwell responded. "The magic has kept the place from falling apart and helped keep the manor clean and presentable, although we haven't had any visitors since the day Lady Rebekka passed."
Both Tibby and Dory sniffled at the mention of Rebekka again.
Through the entire morning and part of the afternoon, Severus got his tour of the manor, which proved to be much bigger than he ever experienced before. There were so many rooms that it could house an entire army. There were three kitchens, four dinning rooms, two main offices, a garden, three fireplaces, hundreds of acres of land, a large lake, a basement, five main floors, a game room, and way too many bedrooms to count. Even for Severus, it was way too much to go over within a day, but he went over the important details that needed to be gone over.
While talking with Crashwell, Severus admired the old man, who he guessed had to be in his seventies or eighties. Even the two house-elves weren't that bad, once they stopped talking and whimpering.
The conversation soon led to one of the offices, where Severus took his seat at the large desk, asking for Crashwell and the elves to sit as well. The gesture made both Tibby and Dory cry, expressing how great of a wizard and master Severus was. The act made Severus roll his eyes again, but made sure they didn't see it, not wanting to hurt their feelings.
Once everything that there was to talk about was taken care of, Severus immediately got straight to the point and made sure his plans for the next few years down the line was made aware to his servants.
"I understand that you are excited to have a new master," Severus heard the elves squeal with happiness. "But I won't be staying here at the Manor all the time, as I will be attending an overseas school for the next two years. Though I will visit and spend the night, just know I'll mostly be over in America."
The elves sighed in disappointment, trying to make sure their master didn't hear them.
"However, I'm also giving you all the option to leave."
Crashwell's eyes widened in surprise, while the two house-elves nearly popped their own out in shock.
"Master Prince, sir... you can't," Tibby shook with fear.
"Where will... we... go...?" Dory sobbed.
Severus felt for them, but kept firmed and continued, "I know about the kind of man my grandfather was. I know he wasn't a good man, a good father, a good husband, or a good master to either of you. So, I'm allowing you a chance that he never gave any of you. To leave! There is no reason to serve the Prince family anymore. It's pretty much gone."
"But you're here now," Crashwell countered. "Through you the Prince Dynasty can rise again."
"But I'm not looking to pursue the legacy that my grandfather wanted," Severus folded his hands. "I will continue to build the Prince wealth and influence, but only to help me in my goals. As of right now, the pureblood beliefs are no longer part of this dynasty. It's a new age and I plan to embrace it. But what I plan to do in the future will put me and others with me at grave risk."
"Master, what do you mean?" Tibby asked, concerned for her master's wellbeing.
"I won't go into details, but I've recently learned of a conspiracy that my family has been involved in for a very long time, and I plan on discovering what that conspiracy is. That's why I'm giving you this option to walk away and live your lives freely. I will set up a new life for all three of you, if you so choose to leave the service of this house. I will give you money and a home anywhere in the world. Anything to protect and make your lives easier. From my point of view, you've all more than earned it. But I must warn you, whether if you choose to leave or stay, you will keep what I've just told you a secret from anyone. Outside of this room, you will tell no one of my plans." He paused, letting his words sink in. "I plan on leaving for America in three days, so I need an answer before I leave."
"Tibby lives to serve Master Prince!" Tibby declared. "Tibby will be here to help Master on his conquest!"
"Dory too!" the other elf clapped. "Dory will stay to serve Master!"
Severus turned towards Crashwell, who nodded in agreement with the elves and declared, "I live to serve the Prince dynasty. Until the day I die, I will not abandon the vow I made a long time ago."
While Severus thought it was a mistake for all of them to remain in his service, he couldn't deny them what they wanted and instead resolved to allow them to continue to take care of the manor.
"Alright, then you all shall continue to watch and take care of the Prince Manor, while I am away in America. If I ever shall be in need of your help, I will contact you."
The house-elves clapped and squealed with excitement, happy that their master was allowing them to stay.
As he stood up from his seat, he immediately remembered something. "Tibby, Dory! I need both of you to keep an eye out for a Floo call from a Mr. Clawlock. He might be calling soon."
Both the elves nodded and said at the same time, "Yes, Master Prince, sir!", and Disaparated from sight.
Crashwell smiled and replied, "You get used to it after a while." Using his cane to stand up, he made his way to the door before stopping, turning around to face Severus, who had sat back down in his chair. "If you don't mind, milord, I would like to speak to you about something."
Severus looked up at him, "I'm listening."
"It's about the final days of the Lord and Lady of House Prince."
Severus narrowed his eyes, wondering what the old man meant, gesturing towards the chair.
Once Crashwell sat down again, he looked Severus in the eyes, "I think I may have something that may help you about this... 'conspiracy' of yours."
Severus's face betrayed no emotion, despite he felt his heart begin to beat faster.
"Go on."
"Ten years ago, just days before Lord Cornelius suffered his..." he stopped, almost like he was suppressing a hidden truth, "... stroke, I overheard a meeting between him and one of his rivals. I don't know what the conversation was about, but I remember that Lord Cornelius was... desperate."
Severus felt his heart race, "Who was this rival?"
Crashwell closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Lord Abraxas Malfoy."
While he didn't show it, Severus was surprised by this rival, although he slightly suspected it. Keeping his hands on the arms of the chair for support, he continued to listen.
"My memory isn't what it used to be, but I remember Lord Cornelius discussing something very important with Malfoy. He had come to him about the location of his daughter, Helena, and also Eileen. He made a deal with Cornelius to deliver Helena and any children she would have to him, in exchange for something very valuable that he possessed."
Severus felt his body slightly begin to shake from the revelation, but he managed to get himself under control. He was beginning to wonder just how much more to the story of the 'night of the fire' there actually was. Now it seemed that Cornelius was somehow involved as well.
"Lord Cornelius agreed to the proposal, but he only wanted any children of Helena to be delivered to him. As for Helena and Eileen... he gave permission for them to be killed, including their husbands as well. As a way to ensure no one came for the children."
Severus nodded, rubbing his chin, "What happened afterwards?"
Crashwell shrugged, "I didn't hear anything else after that, but I did deliver my warning to Lady Rebekka. I knew I couldn't interfere against the man I served, at least... not directly. I had hoped that if Lady Rebekka knew, she could somehow find a way to get Lord Cornelius to call off the murder of his own children..."
He began to tear up, closing his eyes as he remembered the painful memory.
Severus sadly nodded.
Once he was about to speak again, he continued, "I watched from afar as Lady Rebekka confronted her husband and demanded that he tell her the location of her daughters. And in all my years of serving the Prince family, I had never seen such an argument play out as the one I witnessed. She was determined to save her own flesh and blood, even promising to find a way to give him more children."
He paused as the tears came like a river.
"I still remember the sound of her screams echoing down the hallways. I still remember her face as she pleaded to him not to kill them. But Lord Cornelius ignored her, even striking her down when she cursed him. He had her confined to own bedchambers."
Severus closed his eyes, having seen one of those similar moments in Eileen's memories.
"That night, Lord Cornelius came home with a terrified expression on his face, refusing to address his own wife. I don't know what exactly happened before hand, but I remember those eyes being so full of fear and shock. Even when he finally spoke to Lady Rebekka, he only told her that 'it was all for nothing'. It was then that I knew that Helena was dead, and that the deal he had made had backfired against him. But the moment he said those words, Lady Rebekka let out the most haunting scream I had ever heard in my life."
He paused again, struggling to control the tears. His entire face was red and broken.
"And ever since that night, she wouldn't eat nor sleep for a long time," his hearing came back to him as he listened to the tale again. "I had never seen her in such a state. And not long after that, she had this... look... that I can't explain. But I remember the way she looked at Lord Cornelius in the days that followed. It was almost like as if something snapped within her. And then, one day..."
Severus closed his eyes, having an idea on where he was going with this.
The look in Crashwell's eyes went from shame to anger within seconds, "I watched as she put something in Lord Cornelius's drink one afternoon. I saw it happen right in front of me, even though she wasn't aware of my presence. A part of me knew exactly what it was, but I didn't care. All my life, in service to this family, I stood by and watched as that... monster... tortured his own wife and children. So, I did exactly that... I stood by and watched as Lord Cornelius drank his lemon tea. Never once raising a finger to warn him. Only hours later, I found Lord Cornelius dead, from a stroke."
A single tear fell from Severus's eye, remembering what Clawlock had said about his grandmother once before. Realizing now that he was right, that Rebekka did die of heartbreak. But not because of sending her children away, but because she had failed to save her daughter, even though she was within reach of her, after so many years of being apart. The very thought made his stone-cold heart crack.
Crashwell nodded in reply, the tears slowly declining.
Remembering the details that Clawlock gave him over a week ago, he connected the dots, including the timeline of events, and knew that Crashwell was telling the truth. He now had pieces of the puzzle connected together.
Cornelius never died by natural circumstances. He died by the hand of his own wife, for allowing the murder of Helena to happen that 'night of the fire'. Their own daughter.
The dark hooded figures from his dreams were connected to this, Abraxas Malfoy included. But how? Abraxas was understandable, but the dark hooded figures made no sense no matter which way he looked at it.
Coming out of his trance, he held a firm face, "What happened after Cornelius's death?"
"Everyone believed that he had died of natural causes," Crashwell explained. "Whatever Lady Rebekka used, it left no traces and did its job perfectly."
He sighed to himself.
"After Lord Cornelius died, Lady Rebekka spent most of her time in her master bedroom, never leaving the bed where she bore her children," Crashwell closed his eyes, feeling the tears build as he tried to contain them. "Even now I regret never once having done anything to help that poor family. Cornelius was an evil man. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would have made sure that the entire family had escaped his clutches."
Severus nodded in agreement, having seen enough in Eileen's memories to know the feeling.
Noticing the change his Lord's behavior, Crashwell continued, his voice full of concern for the young man, "I may not know everything about the events that had happened ten years ago, nor what you plan to do with this information, milord. But I highly warn you to never underestimate Abraxas Malfoy. Even though others had feared Septimus Malfoy II, only Lord Cornelius himself held his confidence in front of him."
Severus looked back into his eyes, holding firm.
"But Abraxas was... different. It wasn't surprising that Lord Cornelius wanted to end his feud with the Malfoys. Even his own father before him had tried to form a truce as well. But the moment Abraxas took over the family dynasty after his father's death, everything changed. There may have been a time when I believed Lord Cornelius was immune to fear. But Abraxas changed that. Never in my life had I seen such fear in the man. It increased his desire and desperation to end his rivalry with the Malfoys. The very mention of his name put the fear right into Cornelius, as if he was truly the devil in his eyes. And knowing Cornelius, that's saying a lot."
He gave Severus a look that told him to tread carefully.
"I only ask of you to be careful in what ever you plan to do with this information. You are the last of the Prince Dynasty and I want to see it rise again through you."
I wouldn't necessarily call myself the 'last', Severus thought to himself.
Taking his leave, Crashwell walked to the door.
Severus' eyes lit up, a thought coming to mind.
"Did you hear where Abraxas said Helena was hiding?"
Crashwell stopped, turning around to face him as he thought long and hard, "If I remember correctly, I believe the name said in relation to her location was Santander."
Severus nodded, letting the old man exit the room.
Sitting in the large seat, he let the silence of the room settle around him as he lost himself in his thoughts. He felt like such an idiot for not seeing the hints in his mother's memories before. The clues were all there and he never put the pieces together, not until one of his own servants told him part of the story that he never could have gotten from his mother's memories.
If one thing was for certain, it was that Severus needed to prepare himself for the road ahead. For the next two days, his plans were slightly changing as a journey to Spain was now in order.